Mute for wind instruments



W. C. KIDDER. MUTE FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION 'FILED MAYB. 191s.

Patented June 17, 1919.

:EIE-l Momma WILLIAM C. KIIDDER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MUTE FOR INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1918. Serial No. 232,861.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM C. Klnnnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mutes for WindInstruments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved form of mute forcornets,

'trombones, and other wind instruments, the

arrangement being such as to decrease the volume of sound withoutchanging the pitch of the instrument.

\Vith the foregoing general object in view, the invention resides in thenovel features of construction and unique combinations of parts to behereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter beingsupplemented by the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisspecification and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved mute located in the bell ofa, wind in; strument f Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of themute applied; and

Fig. 3 is a transversesection on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Briefly speaking, the invention consists of a central air escape tube 1through which the strong central currents of air pass from the bell ofthe instrument, a barrier 2 for sealing the bell around the tube 1 toprevent the direct escape of the currents of air along the wall of thebell, a plurality of friction shoes 3 for holding the tube 1 and barrier2 in place, and means 4 for varying the length of said tube 1 to restorethe pitch of the instrument to normal after such pitch has been changedby the insertion of the mute.

The tube 1 is open at both ends and is formed of an inner section 5 andan outer section 6, these sections being connected by the means 4: sothat the length 'of the tube may be increased or decreased as occasionmay demand, said means 4: being prefer-ably embodied in the form ofscrew threads as shown. The outer section 6 of, the tube 1 is soldered,brazed or otherwise secured to the closed end of the barrier 2, saidbarrier being preferably of the bowl shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2, theedge of said barrier adjacent its open end being turned inw ardly at 8and provided with a packing 9 of felt or the like for snug contact withthe bell of the instrument.

The friction shoes 3 are preferablyv formed of cork although any othersuitable material could well be employed, and in most cases these shoeswill be carried by substantially semi-elliptic springsill secured to theinner section 5 of the tube 1. The shoes in question frictionally engagethe wall of the instrument bell and thus hold the entire device inplace. These shoes will also prevent rotation of the inner section 5while turning the outer section and the barrier 2' for the purpose ofextending or retracting the tube 1 to restore the normal pitch to theinstrument after insertion of the mute. It is not necessary, however, tomake this adjustment While the mute is in place, and it may be herepointed out that the adjusting means 4 may be of any preferredconstruction and need not consist of screw threads as shown.

For the purpose of applying and removing the device, the barrier 2 ispreferably provided with an angularly located flange 12 surrounding theouter end of the tube v1 and forming an effective hand grip. Here againit is to be understood that although this detail is preferably employed,other provisions can well be made for attaining the same end. i

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,it will be obvious that although my invention is of comparatively simpleand inexpensive nature, it will be highly eflicient 'and desirable. Theextensibility of the tube 1 is a highly advantageous feature since itovercomes the necessity of playing the instrument with either a flat ora sharp pitch, it being well known that the insertion of a mute into awind instrument usually produces either one result or the other. If thepitch of the Patented June 17, 1919;

instrument has been made sharp by the in- I sertion of the mute, thepitch may be re- -stored by lengthening the tube 1, whereas .this tubeis shortened if the pitch is flat.

Since probably the best results are obtained from the features shown anddescribed, these features are preferably followed, but within the scopeof the invention as claimed, considerable latitude is allowed foradapting the device to different types of instruments.

I claim:

1. A mute for wind instruments comprising an air escape tube for centralreceptlon in the bell of the instrument in spaced relation to the .wallthereof, said tube being open at 'both ends, a bowl shaped barriersecured to said tube for snug .reception in said bell, said tubeextending from the closed end of said bowl shaped barrier through andbeyond its open end, and a' packing on the wall of said barrier forairtight contact with the instrument bell.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, together with spring pressedfriction shoes on said tube for engagement with the bell of theinstrument to retain the device in place. 29 i N 3. A structure asspecified in claim 1, said tube being extensible and retractable attheopen inner end of the bowl shaped barrier for projection variousdistances into the bell of the instrument, whereby to restore the pitchof the latter after insertion of the I mute, should this be necessary.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said tubebeing formed of innerand outer sections relatively movable to vary the length of the tube,the outer section being secured to sa1d barrier, and friction shoes onthe lnner section for engagement with the bell to hold the device inplace.

. 5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said tube being formed ofinner and outer sectionsthreaded together for adjustment to vary thelength of the tube, the outer tube section'being' secured tosaid-barrier, and friction shoes on the inner section for en? gagementwith the bell to retain the device in place and to hold said one sectionof the tube against turning, whereby the two sections maybe adjustedrelatively by turning of the outer section and barrier.

6. The combination with the bell of a Wind instrument, of a central airescape tube positioned in said bell, and a bowlshaped barrier secured atthe center of its closed end to said tube and snugly contacting withsaid bell to seal the latter against the escape of airalong the wall ofthe bell, said barrier having its closed end disposed adjacent the openend of said bell, and said tube extending from saidclosed end of thebarrier through and beyond the open innerend of said barrier.

-7. A structure as specified in claim 6, said tube being extensible andretractable at the open inner end of saidbarrier for varying the tone ofthe instrument.

8. A mute for wind instruments comprising a bowl shaped barrier havingthe free edge of its side wall turned inwardly and provided with anexternal packing for snug air-tight contact with the wall of theinstrument bell, an airescape tube secured at one In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand.

' WILLIAM C. KIDDER.

Witnesses:

JAMES EDW. KINNER,

- Loprs W. MANCHESTER.

